We're Back!!!!

My three angels on the lifeguard chair.
The cousins posing for a group picture.
Daddy and his little girl.
My beautiful girl!
Our annual family shot.

Hi everyone! We had a fantastic week at the beach! I think it was our best vacation ever. The kids were great (98 percent of the time), the weather was beautiful, everyone got along, and we just truly enjoyed being with family. We didn't have one drop of rain the entire week. I felt a little out of it because we didn't have the internet. It amazes me how addicted to technology we have become. It was hard to be away from the computer...but maybe that helped us to have a relaxing week. It was quite humorous though...Jonathan needed to get something downloaded for work, so we headed to a Starbucks one night after the kids were in bed. When we got there, they were closed, so we drove up and down the coastal highway looking for a wi-fi signal. I would hit the refresh button every few seconds until we finally got a signal! It was so late and I was exhausted, so I didn't feel like posting a new message in the car, in the parking lot. So...here we are!

We really did have a wonderful week. Emma and Owen got into boogie boarding. They have had the boards the past few years, but they usually just played with them at the edge of the water. This year, they got into the water and rode the waves in. Owen had little fear and no problems doing it. Emma was brave, but whenever she thought a big wave was coming, she would run for the shore! It was quite funny. Logan was content digging holes in the sand. He liked it when Daddy would take him out in the water (and Mommy would stand at the edge telling them to not go out so far!). He would get his second wind after lunch and start running in circles near the edge of the water. He especially had a good time with his cousin Connor. I really hope they grow up to be as close as my cousin Leanne and I were. There were six months between us and we were more like sisters. Connor and Logan have 9 months between them and they have a love-hate relationship. It was neat watching them interact and play together.

It was so nice to spend time with everyone. It was especially nice to watch our niece Maisie. She has such a personality! She is the happiest, most delightful baby I think I have ever met. She is so precious and we enjoyed every second spent with her.

We are so blessed to have three beautiful children and a wonderful supportive family. Thank you Memaw, Pepaw, Brett, Katie, Connor and Maisie for a beautiful vacation. We had a blast!

Not Much Happening

There hasn't been too much going on around here these past few days. We've been cleaning, packing, and shopping for our week at the beach. We always have a wonderful time, relaxing with family. It's a great time to see the cousins playing together and my three generally get along. Not to mention all the good food we eat at the beach!

I am not sure if we'll have internet at the beach house (last year we mooched off of somebody's wireless!!!??!!). If we do, I'm sure I'll post pictures. If not, we'll be back next week! Aloha!

Fun Times

We've had a few quiet days this week. It's been kind of nice to just hang out at home. Emma and Owen went to a friends' house yesterday, so Logan and I spent some along time together. We picked up a few things for the beach and hung out at home. Today, our friends Elizabeth and Jack came over to play. It's great because Elizabeth and Emma and close in age and have a lot in common. Owen and Jack are the same age and also have a lot in common. They had fun playing with water balloons and splashing in the little pool. The boys played some Wii and Logan was happy just being with Mommy.
I took Owen to the pediatric cardiologist this morning. They came in and did another EKG and then took us to another room with an ultrasound machine. I was scared to death that there was something really wrong with Owen's heart. The doctor came in and told us that he did not have the previous EKG, but this one looked fine. He did the echocardiogram just to make sure. He must have looked at pictures of his heart for 45 minutes - once again, I was sure there was going to be something wrong...but everything looks great! He wants to have him wear a harness for 24 hours just to monitor his heart, but he wasn't sure why the first EKG showed an arrhythmia. We were so relieved....so now to figure out the medication issue.


Fun with Friends and Family

Look out Owen! Note...they are playing with
cheeseballs, not basketballs!

Water Balloon Fight!!!

Logan in the sprinkler. Emma and Elizabeth...where did you
put those balloons?!?! Soon enough girls!


Emma and Owen playing spies.


Max is Daddy's Helper. Logan and Max taking a rest.

OMG...It's the Jonas Brothers!!!

For those of you who don't know who the Jonas Brothers are....they are the boy band of the tween generation. In my time, they were the New Kids on the Block..and going back furtther, the Monkees or the Beatles. If you want to hear some screaming, just mention the Jonas Brothers to any girl between the age of 7 and 15. So, Emma and I had tickets to see them at Hersheypark yesterday. It was just a girls day. We dropped the boys off at the grandparents house and headed straight for Hersheypark Friday morning. We spent a few hours in the park (with a million other people) before we headed to the concert. It was nice - just the two of us. We don't get to spend a lot of time alone together - so we made the most of it.

We headed over the the stadium around 5:00 and hung out watching thousands of girls (and their moms) waiting for the concert. We stopped by the souvenir tent and Emma transformed herself into an even bigger fan - from JB shorts to a hat and a t-shirt. So, with my pocket quite a bit emptier, we headed into the stadium. We found our seats and were pretty pleased. We were in the first section next to the stage. I was afraid if we had gotten the floor seats she wouldn't have been able to see - and I was right. We had a great view of the stage and it was neat to see Hersheypark lit up in the background. It was a beautiful evening - not too hot.

While we were sitting there waiting for the show to begin, the Jonas Brothers went by on their segways to the meet and greet tent - which happened to be in perfect view from our seats. So we ran like everyone else to get a glimpse of the dreamy brothers. We were able to see them when they came out of the tent and made their get away. It was pretty funny - a bunch of screaming kids and their mothers - I don't know who was more into it!

Anyways, the concert was great. We got to see Demi Lavato open up for them, as well as Avril Lavigne. Emma enjoyed them both and I enjoyed spending time with her (and reliving my New Kids on the Block days!) It took us two hours to get out of the parking lot, so we didn't get home until 2:00 in the morning. Now we get to do it again in August with a bunch of her friends! Can't wait!

It's the Jonas Brothers...making

their get away!

A Few Concert Pictures

The World Traveler

Jonathan returned from Japan today. He had a great time and saw a lot of interesting things. We are all so excited that he is home. The kids were thrilled to have him home and couldn't wait to see their souvenirs. As usual, Daddy delivered. Here are a few pictures from his trip.

This was his hotel...he was on the 36th floor.


What a kid...riding a Dewback!


Jonathan and his friend Tony, playing
chess in the Millenium Falcon.


My favorite...he looks like such a little kid,
thrilled to death to be riding in a snow speeder.

Two Fun Nights

We've been busy these past two days. Last night we went to a minor league baseball with friends of ours. We watched the Potomac Nationals play. The kids had fun watching the game and eating hot dogs. Emma and Owen loved watching the game - Logan not so much. We didn't get home until late, then we got up this morning and headed North. We dropped Logan off at his cousin Connor's house. Katie and Brett were kind enough to watch him for me tonight, while I took Emma and Owen to see the Lion King. We had a blast!!! We went with my friend Kim and her mom. The kids were well behaved (except for the car ride up there!) and we only got lost on the way to and from the Kennedy Center in D.C. We took a few detours, but I amazingly found my way around the city! Jonathan would have been so proud! The show was incredible. If you haven't seen The Lion King broadway show, I highly recommend it. The music and the costumes are incredible. The kids enjoyed it and we had a wonderful night. Thanks to Brett and Katie, Connor, and Maisie for hosting Logan tonight. (I could have never done it with him!) Thanks to Kim and her mom for their patience while we made our way around D.C. and for a wonderful time.
Jonathan is on his way home - he's in New York, but his flight has been delayed. He was supposed to leave JFK at 10:30 tonight and his flight was delayed until at least 12:40 am. So, we're anxiously awaiting his arrival. Maybe since it's so late, he'll take the day off tomorrow.
Well, I'm off to bed. Can't wait to go get my baby in the morning. They drive me crazy when they're with me, but I miss them terribly when they're not here.

A Nice Weekend

We had a great visit from Uncle Brett, Aunt Katie, Connor, and Maisie yesterday. It was so nice just spending a few hours hanging out with them. Connor and the boys had fun pulling out all the toys and playing cars and trains. They may cause some trouble when we spend a week at the beach with them!! Maisie is getting so big! She is a year old now and walking everywhere. This was the first time we really got to see her cruising - and cruise she does. She always has a smile on her face and is just a happy baby. It was so nice to have their visit - it made the day go faster!

Maisie tries on Emma's headband.

Connor loves his big cousin Owen!

Cheese!

Today was a nice relaxing day. We went to the grocery store this morning - a chore I usually do alone - but the kids were amazingly great! We had a chat last night about how to treat others and breaking that cycle of being mean to one another. Everyone was well behaved and got along well today. Hopefully it will continue. We filled up our little pool and the kids hung out there all day. They had fun splashing and playing together. It was a nice peaceful day.